Challenges Confronting Young Adults Exiting Care System Highlighted

Plymouth City Council reports that individuals transitioning from the care system into adulthood are approximately nine times more prone to being disengaged from education, training, or employment. The council has initiated a campaign aimed at assisting these young people in securing work. Upon reaching 18 years of age, young individuals exit the care system, though they retain the choice to continue connections with staff members. James, a 19-year-old who departed the system a year prior, shared with the BBC: “I really found it hard to find my footing, to be honest.” High-ranking council officials acknowledged that those leaving care indeed “face significant challenges,” yet they also suggested that businesses could gain from providing opportunities to them. James observed disparities between himself and his age-group peers who had not experienced the care system, noting that numerous individuals he knew who had left care struggled to secure education or employment. He stated: “I had some guidance from my care worker, but, generally, I had a big wide world in front of me that I didn’t know what I wanted to do in.” He added: “I think that’s just disastrous for care leavers.” James further commented: “At the end of the day, a lot of my peers have family they can fall back on; they have a household they can come back to. I don’t have the same safety nets.” James, currently pursuing economics at university, additionally remarked that the difficulties encountered by care leavers might be hard for others to comprehend. He explained: “A lot people find it difficult to see the impact it can have to not have that [family] network and also the role models that parents give to people. “As much as I assimilate and get a long with them [people with traditional families], I do have a difference. “You can see it during Christmas. A lot of my friends are going home for Christmas, they are going to their parents’ house. “I am realistically never going to have that in a traditional sense.”” James mentioned observing individuals encountering difficulties in adjusting after exiting the system. He stated: “The thing is about care is that, at 18, unless you organise to stay longer, you are basically kicked out in a way.” He further noted that a person he had been in care with ultimately resorted to “living off benefits” due to not knowing “what to do.” Jemima Laing, who serves as the deputy leader of the council and cabinet member for children’s social care, reported that the city has seen an average of 70 young individuals depart the care system annually over the past five years. She commented: “Care leavers face significant challenges over and above those normally experienced by our children and young people, but, with the right support, they can succeed in managing the move to independent living and a career. “Offering a care leaver a job opportunity will give businesses a chance to invest in young people who have bright ideas and shows that they are a supportive organisation willing to give young people a chance at starting a career.””